Winter's here - it's the last day of term, Christmas is coming and it's snowing.
Sort of settling.........doubtful if there will be snowballs, snowmen or sledging.
About Us
- Jolie
- 80 High Street, Walkern, Hertfordshire, SG2 7PG, United Kingdom
- Jolie is a knitting and homeware boutique run by two friends, Linda Williams and Daniella Taylor. If you are interested in anything you see on this blog or would like to learn to knit or crochet please call us at the shop on 01438 861 717. We are open between 10am and 4pm Mon - Sat.
Builder's tea
Really? Yes, the builders were rebuilding the wall that was knocked down by a van just before Christmas. This is tea for the builders Jolie style!
Mr Snowman
It's what you have to do when it snows.
Now you see it -
Beautiful new teapot... but can't be doing with cold tea.
Now you don't
Needed a woolly jumper, especially this time of year.
Cheesy dream
Great Auntie Naomi with little niece Sakura, enjoying the 'cheese cake' at Naomi's birthday Knit and Chat.
Nana Stripey
Rosemary is living up to her name of Nana Stripey. Not only does she wear stripes - she's great at knitting them too. This lovely little dress and hat is a lovely gift for a lucky granddaughter.
Aromatherapy
Took a tip from Country Living mag and dangled the rosemary bouquet from Sandra under running bath water, filling the bathroom with a delicious aroma - just right for a cold December morning.
Fire, fire
Logs now burning beautifully. Billie is a very happy dog.
Lovely logs
Time to light the fire. A load of logs were delivered down the steps!
The boys stacked them all up. Hope they last the winter.
Scarlett's bake off
She can't stop baking, and stencilling the baking. We're happy.
Carolyn's coaster
More proficient fair isle knitting - this is Carolyn's first ever too. It's lovely!
How accomplished
Scarlett's first endeavour at fair isle knitting.
Yum Yum
Yum Yum came to Knit and Chat today with her owner Camilla. She was very well behaved with impeccable manners, however she does not knit or crochet.
Totally potty
Jen took no time at all to pot up her Margheritas in her lovely new Jolie pots. And on her birthday too.
Milko
In the old dairy at Wimpole Hall, this pretty beaded jug cover in filet crochet.
Watch the birdie!
A little bird has found a home on Jennifer's 'titty' teacosy. Also spotted at Royal Knit and Chat.
Long good Friday
We had a great day at Frinton on sea. Sunshine, sandy beaches, paddling and ice cream.
Lost and found
Little Burt strayed from home without his collar and waited patiently at Jolie until his owner was discovered. He melted all the passers by - we could have rehomed him a dozen times in half an hour he was with us, but luckily his owner came to claim him.
Wedded bliss
Hellie's getting in the mood for the royal wedding. Is this a case of Julie and Julia over there in Paris? or does she have too much time on her hands?
Dog days
Not keen, but squeaky clean!
Betty @ Bebo
Betty was tickled pink when her poached egg on toast came as an Easter bunny at Cafe Bebo, Welwyn Garden City.
Ollie and Eddie
Went to school dressed as the batty bowler hatted twin detectives, Thomson and Thompson, from the Tintin books for World Book Day.
And messed around in giant bubbles in Stevenage Town Centre over half term. Oh to be 12!
Layabout cat
Caught napping on this very nice blanket won in a raffle by Auntie Frances and kindly donated to me! I thought it looked good over the back of the sofa and obviously so did George!
S'il vous plait? Mais, oui!
Hellie who is now in Paris, lets us know what we're missing... this patisserie near Montmartre.
and morning coffee with Robbie Dobbs....we'll be there soon, Hellie, don't you worry.
Turtle love
Poppy crocheted Matt a turtle for Christmas.
Aah!
Easing into the diet
Our lovely present from Karen was put to good use at Knit and Chat on Thursday- groaning under the weight of chocolate brownies, caramel flapjacks, vanilla pastries and Vicky sponge. Diet, what diet?
Christmas with The Williams'
Snow scene with little cardboard house found in Park City ski resort, Utah.
Low calorie Christmas puds,
and Bambis galore on the Xmas dresser. Aah.
Brrr
Trudged out for a walk on Sunday with dogs Jack and Billie. This was 10am but still dark...
The littles ponies behind the church, were pleased to see us.
They are so lovely with their woolly coats on.
Oh, and Arsenal beat Partizan Belgrade 3-1 in the Champion's League.
Shop til you drop
We went down to Covent Garden on Monday for some Xmas shopping, needing to tick a few tricky boxes - husbands, sons.....daughters even.
Dany bought some bling in flea market. It was very, very chilly - we fell into Tuttons brasserie to warm up and succumbed to giant their 'snowball' style almond croissants.
We had a mad time with the proprieter of 'Indulgence' in Earlham St. Couldn't get away. Check out the bling on those fingers. Can't compete with that!
Finished up in Regent Street, then Top Shop, Oxford Circus ...those daughters. The credit card went into meltdown, but a few big ticks are now off the list and panic is subsiding - just a little.
Snow stylish
Billie had her cosy tartan coat on for her morning walk today. Happy dog.
Gorgeous Rudolph
Sitting in the window of Jolie one day.
Woke up in bed next to Kev, the next!
Swan lake....
This postcard from Hellie is so pretty. She always finds lovely cards, but this one has swans, knitting and vintage all in one, and we love it!
Pam's poncho
She was a reluctant model, but we thought Pam looked great in her soft alpaca poncho, knitted in Louisa Harding's aran yarn, Thistle.
Village life
Roger (next door but one) is always busy on his allotment. He normally leaves us some produce on the doorstep, but today we caught him in the act delivering some huge jars of green tomato chutney. Ben (Jack Russell at the front) on the other hand is always here, he comes to call for Billie every day and they hang out together.
Figgy pud
Jo, alias Nigella, made this beautiful croissant and fig pudding from Long Nights and Log Fires. She's obsessed with the Hipstamatic App on her iphone and is snapping everything in sight. When can we expect the book Jo?
The long and the short
Paula and Sue at Knit and Chat - Sue tried on Linda's new killer heels and shot up even higher than usual.
Say cheez
Saw these in a Swedish supermarket and thought of you know who... Wondered if they have Cheez Ballz championships in Sweden too...
Art club
We did lots of drawing and painting on holiday. Eddie drew his bike.
Ollie was inspired by the sea.
I sat on the beach with my sketchpad. Some drawings were more successful than others - I quite liked this little boat on the horizon.
from 'Lazy Days..
...and Beach Blankets'. Highly recommended by Kay, who made this lovely Layered Salmon, Prawn and Potato Pie (p.91) for a picnic with friends in Chiswick Park, London. It was absolutely delicious and also survived the journey from Bedford via bicycle, train, tube and car!
Holt knitters
Linda and Julie came across a group of lovely ladies knitting in Byford's in Holt, on a recent trip to Norfolk. Do visit us in Walkern, where you will be most welcome.
Stormin' Norman
Diane and Hope brought in beautiful Norman, their gorgeous new puppy who is just 8 weeks old with gigantic feet. He is adorable!
Beautiful blooms
Picked from outside the front of Dany's house. These big blousy roses are a soft apricot colour and go beautifully in the pretty jug bought on the Suffolk junk trail.
Cheese Ball Challenge
Linda limbering up on the beach for a game of cheese ball poker.
Hellie's go. I think she made 11.
OMG Donna......16?
And the winner is......with 21 or was it 23, I lost count.
Belated birthday greetings
to Paula who celebrated at Knit and Chat on 15th July.
Pretty flamingo
Yes, that is a pink plastic flamingo and his name is Martin. Scarlett collected him from Jolly Brown's vintage store in Hitchin. (Click on pic for link.) He is now in Linda's back garden, keeping the (plastic) swan company.
What a treat
Jo with her delicious walnut bread bacon sarnies at Knit and Chat. Just the ticket - and they were still hot!
Bag a bargain!
What do they say? " One woman's junk is another woman's treasure". At the bric a brac stall, Debbie purchased some fab boots donated by Karen. Jennifer bought the magazine rack to reuse as a plant holder. Linda had a cameo necklace cast off from Scarlett and Julie found Dany's little flower necklace.... I think we should do this more often.
Great boots Deb.
Just perfect for plants!
Hellie's homage to Rachel Ashwell
A lovely collection of shell boxes a la Rachel Ashwell (Shabby chic interiors) and a pretty crucifix found at Re, Corbridge, Northumberland.
An evening at Culcreuch Castle
Fintry's very own genuine Scottish castle. Click on pic for link.
Happy times!
It all got a bit much for Robbie...
Complimentary liqueurs and fab Chambord bottle.
Snapdragon
Click on pic to link to find out more.
Thorne's Garden Nursery and Poultry Centre
We purchased our hens from Thorne's in Letchworth - recommended by Sue B. They have a good range of breeds which are beautifully kept and the garden centre is really nice too. Frank Lock, who manages the poultry, is very helpful. He gives advice on how to get the best from your hens and also gives regular talks on how to rear them. Click on pic for link.
What a waste...
...couldn't quite believe that this little pack of bamboo needles was delivered in such a huge box and by a courier!
Finishing school!
Linda found this very vivid half finished cushion cover in the back of her armoire, whilst searching for some thread.
Cakes all round
Jolie is 5 today!
Sue and Sue
Resisting birthday cakes at Knit and Chat today.
Jennifer
Celebrating her birthday at Knit and Chat on Tuesday. Jennifer and sister Naomi, get the prize for travelling the furthest, as they drive up from East London nearly every week to join us! Thank you, ladies x
Out of the blue....
....and into the yellow. Beryl came to Jolie on a jolly today. She needed cheering up and chose a lovely gift for her friend in France and one for herself too. Well, why not? Wouldn't be proper shopping without treats for ALL!
Mel's magic
Linda taught Mel to crochet only a few weeks ago-and here we have Bubbles the rabbit and Alphonso the alpaca from Super-cute Crochet by Nicki Trench.
Roger's rhubarb
Fresh 2day......mmm what will be for tea?
Lost in Stevenage
This poor duck and her 12 ducklings was wandering round the town centre on Saturday (looking for Primark?) - the boys helped a passing vet to rescue them by popping the babies in a large paper carrier bag. The family was then relocated to the lake in Fairlands Valley Park. Aaaahh!
Finished!
Knitted cottage cushion...
...and amigurumi crocheted mini teddy for Hannah.
Vintage fair
Sunday 16th May, 10am - 4pm, Harpenden Public Halls, Harpenden, AL5 2HL. Donna will be there.
Weekend Walk
From Buntingford to Westmill and back...
...via the Westmill tea room for a huge slice of their delicious legendary coffee cake.
We passed sheep and their lambs, pigs and this sweet pony Tori with her surprise new foal, Rosy.
Tropical fish skirt
Purchased by Hellie in 'Old', Hastings...... and came out for an airing at the weekend. I've shortened it, to make it a little more funky. Needs to be beside the sea, I feel, with a hand knitted Kim Hargreaves cardi, a pair of pumps and an ice cream. Thanks Hellie, it is truly mad!
Those fuzzy bunnies get everywhere!
Hellie's snowy Easter basket, up in Fintry, Scotland.
Branching out
and Josh's wonderful Easter tree.
Happy Easter!
I did try! Feeling a little worse for wear due to chest infection, but had fun nontheless with my little mossy bunnies from Cologne. Going to put my feet up now and start scoffing - just one or two chocolate eggs. Dx
Cologne.......
The up all night guide.
Cheers, beers.
Only two small beers.
More beers! So this is what Ludmilla and Helga really got up to!
Rock cakes
Ouch! Fantastic tooth breaking cake selection in the window of Ye Old Rock Shop, Wells-next-the-Sea.
Dear Hellie
Down from Glasgow with heaps of Tunnocks teacakes, a 'tropical fish' skirt for Dany, some wonderful vintage linens and Coronation mugs for Linda . They're off to Cologne for the weekend on the Louisa Harding/Designer Yarns raffle prize jaunt......
Cafe Gallipoli
Post Country Living Spring Fair......delicious meze with falafel, cream cheese pastries and authentic kebabs. Not to mention the 'Turkish Delights'.
First cup of coffee outside this year....
Mmm.... and chocolate muffins too.
Spring colour
Flowers are emerging at last - it's been a long winter. This tub of crocuses in my mum's back garden really made me smile today.
Love is all around
We have now added mugs and plates to the 'Love' china collection by Jan Constantine.
Exhibition by local artists
featuring work by Stephen Lowe, Rod Shone, Stella Hunt and Kim Major George at The Boxfield Gallery, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage SG1 1LZ, 25th March - 25th April.
Two paintings by Rod Shone from the forthcoming exhibition.
What a treat
Sunday lunch at Hexton Village Hall Tearooms, followed by a lovely walk over Pegsdon Hills to try and undo the damage done by having fabulous Fruit Pavlova for pudding. (Click on pavlova pic for link.)
If only my owner would stop crocheting....
Billie, Dany's Jack Russell, wrapped in crochet.
Oh no, not them again!
We were amazed to see that Country Living (April 2010) has used a pic of us to promote their Rural Business Awards this year - you won't get our heads through the door soon!
Baby Cashmerino
Baby Cashmerino knits to the same tension as cotton Eco Baby, giving a huge choice of patterns available to knit in either yarn.
Lovely leeks
These were left on my doorstep by a kind neighbour who I've yet to identify. We're having leek and potato soup tonight. I don't really need a recipe, but I've glanced at the one in Long Nights and Log Fires- the cook book for this long hard winter. It has bay leaves for flavour and snipped chives on top. I can reccommend the roast butternut squash and pesto, which is really delicious.
Dany's chicken print skirt
This is a painting by my sister Venice of my 'chicken skirt'. Actually we both bought the same skirt (by Fornarino) unbeknown to each other. I saw the painting on Venice's blog http://lollyofhastings.blogspot.com and Venice has kindly sent me a print.
Brenda's shrug
Linda modelling Brenda's lovely shrug. Crocheted in Baby Alpaca, pattern from Rowan's Classic book Am to Pm.
Brenda
Looking gorgeous today at Knit and Chat, wearing her 'up to date' corsage.
Newborn last night
and yes, his ears are now the right way up!
Jolie lamb
Hellie is kindly test driving this pattern for us. He will be available in time for Easter. Hang on, I think his ears might be upside down!
Hellie's chair
Slow progress - grandma's been a bit busy with Leffe (pictured) and knitted lambs (see above)..
Oh no, not again!
We're fed up with the snow now - it's time to go away.
Country Homes and Interiors, March 2010
We're very flattered they've used a pic of Jolie to advertise their 'Run your own country business' competition.
Happy Valentines
One each for all our loved ones.
Also loving
Love bowl, £24.95
A Special Happy Birthday
To the lovely Sandra
Hellie's chair
Drowning in tartan (and teddies!)
International coverage
Published in Country Chic magazine, Italy
Hellie's chair
Oops, she's running out of tartan
Hellie's chair
Looking great! How fast can you go?
Ferreting around
Check out Florence. Knitted by Mary for Jo's mum's birthday.
Jess and Donna
Look who came to see us today!
Hellie's chair
Watch the progress as Hellie's old chair is customised in tartan.
Our favourite books
Wonderful weekend in Fintry, Scotland
Linda, Hellie, Dany and Karen
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